Circulating Tumor Cell Is a Clinical Indicator of Pretransplant Radiofrequency Ablation for Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Table 2

Analysis of relevant factors for recurrence of HCC in 79 patients.

Variable		N = 79
		Recurrence (n = 20)	Nonrecurrence (n = 59)		value
Gender, n (%)	Male	19 (24.1)	55 (69.6)	0.08	0.778
	Female	1 (1.3)	4 (5.1)
Age (years), n (%)	>50	11 (13.9)	36 (45.6)	0.224	0.636
	≤50	9 (11.4)	23 (29.1)
CTC count, n (%)	>1	15 (19.0)	27 (30.4)	5.128	0.024
	≤1	5 (6.3)	32 (40.5)
Tumor number, n (%)	>3	7 (8.9)	8 (10.1)	4.464	0.035
	≤3	13 (16.5)	51 (64.6)
Tumor diameter (cm), n (%)	>3	10 (12.7)	19 (24.1)	2.036	0.154
	≤3	10 (12.7)	40 (50.6)
PVT, n (%)	Yes	6 (7.6)	10 (12.7)	1.575	0.209
	No	14 (17.7)	49 (62.0)
MVI, n (%)	Yes	7 (8.9)	10 (12.7)	2.882	0.090
	No	13 (16.5)	49 (62.0)
Edmonson stage, n (%)	I-II	9 (11.4)	39 (49.4)	2.790	0.095
	III-IV	11 (13.9)	20 (25.3)
Liver cirrhosis, n (%)	Yes	15 (19.0)	58 (73.4)	11.559	0.001
	No	5 (6.3)	1 (1.3)
Milan criteria, n (%)	Yes	6 (7.6)	40 (50.6)	8.773	0.003
	No	14 (17.7)	19 (24.0)
UCSF criteria, n (%)	Yes	7 (8.8)	44 (55.6)	10.225	0.001
	No	13 (16.4)	15 (18.9)
HBsAg (+), n (%)	Yes	16 (20.3)	49 (62.0)	0.095	0.757
	No	4 (5.1)	10 (12.7)
RFA only, n (%)	Yes	2 (2.5)	16 (20.3)	2.448	0.115
	No	18 (22.8)	43 (54.4)
AFP (ng/ml), n (%)	>400	7 (8.9)	13 (16.5)	1.328	0.249
	≤400	13 (16.5)	46 (58.2)
TNM stage, n (%)	I	0	10 (12.7)	6.334	0.042
	II	4 (5.1)	19 (24.1)
	III-IV	16 (20.3)	30 (38.0)

Bold values indicate statistical significance. AFP: alpha-fetoprotein; CTC: circulating tumor cells; HBsAg: hepatitis B surface antigen; HCC: hepatocellular carcinoma; MVI: microvascular invasions; PVT: portal vein thrombosis; RFA: radiofrequency ablation; UCSF: University of California San Francisco.